Guinea Worm Appeal
Help stop Guinea Worm attacking children!
The guinea worm is a parasite that can grow up to a metre long – inside the human body! Almost the last place on earth it exists is southern Sudan, where Lutheran support is helping poorest communities, and where more help is needed now.
Humans contract guinea worm by drinking dirty water containing ‘water fleas’ infested with worm larvae. The worm mates inside the victim’s body… and after 12 months starts to burrow out.
ALWS is aiming to raise $163,712 immediately to provide 7 bore-holes, 200 toilets and hygiene-training at 31 schools - to protect children and families from guinea worm and other diseases caused by dirty water.
After 12 months inside the human body, the guinea worm starts its burrowing out.
The burning pain of this is so intense, the victim rushes to bathe it in water. This re-infects the water. The worm is only fully removed by rolling it out on a stick, a few centimetres a day, over weeks.
In the 50s, up to 50 million people were infected by guinea worm annually. By 1986 this had been reduced to 3.5 million people. Under the leadership of former US President Jimmy Carter, last year there were only 1,785 cases.
95% of these cases were in southern Sudan. The good news is that if enough clean water and training can be provided here, the guinea worm can be eradicated from the planet! Donate now
Through ALWS, Aussie and NZ Lutherans can provide clean water to families and schools in southern Sudan! Adding latrines and hygiene training also helps prevent diseases caused by dirty water that kill a child every 20 seconds.
Call 1300 763 407
Post your cheque to: PO Box 488 Albury NSW 2640
How you help
Clean, safe water…
In Sudan, the working life of bore-hole with properly maintained water-pump can be up to 50 years. Each bore-hole can serve 500 people.
Cost: $27 per person, $162 per family
Proper toilets…
1. Provide latrine construction tools and squatting slabs to 200 households - $7,955
Cost: $40 per family
2. Construct pit latrines for 4 schools that already have
an operating Hygiene and Sanitation Club - $12,728
Cost: $3,182 per school
Hygiene training…
Baseline studies in southern Sudan reveal that only:
- 3% of people use latrines
- 1% have facilities to wash hands
- 6% use dish-racks
The impact on children’s health is disastrous. Hygiene training, using posters like these, is essential.
1. Create Hygiene Clubs in 13 school - 8,787
Cost: $675 per school
2. Provide tools for latrine cleaning and hand-washing to 18 schools - $5,427
Cost: $301 per school
3. Train Hygiene & Sanitation Promoters for 11 communities - $7,326
Cost: $665 per community
Call 1300 763 407
Post your cheque to: PO Box 488 Albury NSW 2640
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